Spiritual leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Saturday, 1 August praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for publicly forgiving students who allegedly made objectionable remarks against him and his late mother during a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, calling the Prime Minister's gesture a historic example of compassion in Indian public life.

PM Modi's Video Message

In a video message released on Friday, Prime Minister Modi stated that he wished to forgive all those who had abused him, including remarks directed at his late mother. Modi described the youth involved as 'misguided', emphasising that the government's responsibility was to guide them rather than punish them. 'It is our duty to guide them. Punishing them, dragging them through court proceedings, or harassing them in society will not change the situation,' the Prime Minister said.

Acharya Krishnam Draws Parallels With Buddha and Gandhi

Responding through a self-recorded video, Acharya Pramod Krishnam drew direct parallels between Modi's act of forgiveness and the philosophies of Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavir, and Mahatma Gandhi. He narrated a parable in which a person spat on Lord Buddha out of hatred, only to be embraced in return. According to Acharya Krishnam, the person broke down in tears, fearing that the Lord would now despise him. Lord Buddha's response, as recounted by Krishnam, was: 'I can never hate you because love is all I have to give.'

'The way Prime Minister Modi was abused during the protest at Jantar Mantar, and still he forgave all of them considering them his own children, I was reminded of a story of Gautam Buddha,' Acharya Krishnam said in his video.

A Message Rooted in Indian Culture

Acharya Krishnam stressed that Modi's response was not merely a political statement but a reflection of India's deeper cultural and spiritual tradition. He argued that those who had abused the Prime Minister and his mother needed to understand this tradition. 'This matter is connected to India's culture and tradition,' he said, adding that spreading love was essential for the country's future.

Context: The Jantar Mantar Protest

The remarks at Jantar Mantar — a prominent protest site in central New Delhi — had drawn significant public attention after videos of alleged abusive sloganeering against the Prime Minister and his late mother surfaced. Modi's decision to publicly forgive the protesters, framed as an appeal to guide rather than penalise the youth, marked a notable departure from the adversarial political responses that typically follow such incidents. Notably, this is not the first time a sitting Prime Minister's public act of restraint has been invoked as a civilisational statement — but the explicit invocation of Buddhist and Gandhian parables by a religious figure adds a distinct dimension to the episode.

As debate continues over the appropriate response to political dissent among youth, Modi's message and Acharya Krishnam's endorsement together signal an attempt to reframe the incident as a moment of national moral instruction rather than political confrontation.